System, device, and method for improving sports swing striking accuracy

ABSTRACT

A device, system and method for managing swinging effectiveness of a sports related striking object configured to strike a struck object, is disclosed. The struck object may have a struck object diameter. The device may include a chalklike material, a substantially spherical shape, and a diameter of between approximately ⅕ to ⅓ the struck object diameter. The method may include: placing a first substantially spherical chalklike object on a golf tee; taking a first swing with a golf club and striking the substantially spherical chalklike object with a golf club thereby leaving a chalklike mark on a striking surface of the golf club; viewing the chalklike mark on the striking surface, and noting a first difference between a location of the chalklike mark and a sweet spot on the striking surface; placing a second substantially spherical chalklike object on the golf tee; taking a second swing with the golf club and striking the second spherical chalklike object with the golf club and adjusting the second swing in order to minimize a second difference between a second chalklike mark made from striking the second spherical chalklike object and the sweet spot on the striking surface based on the first distance noted in the noting.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Continuation Application claims priority to pending Non-ProvisionalU.S. application Ser. No. 12/941,306, filed on Nov. 8, 2010,incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and claims prioritythereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application relates generally to a system, device, and method forimproving sports swing accuracy, and more specifically to asubstantially spherical object that may be struck by a striking objectswung by a user, which may leave a mark on a striking surface of thestriking object to provide a visual feedback of accuracy of the swing.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

When practicing a sport wherein an object is struck by a strikingimplement, such as, for example: striking a golf ball with a golf club;hitting a baseball with a baseball bat; hitting a hockey puck with ahockey stick; hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket; hitting acricket ball with a cricket bat; hitting a polo ball with a polo mallet,and the like, hitting accuracy can have a direct effect on far and/oraccurately the struck object will travel. Many, or all, sports strikingimplements have a so called sweet spot which is the ideal location tohit the struck object. Sweet spot sizes may vary depending on the designof the striking object, but as an example, a sweet spot on some golfclubs may be as small as a 2.5 cm across. Hits outside of this area maybe less efficient. The golf ball may travel less far with a given stokespeed when the golf ball is struck by portions of the club strike faceoutside the sweet spot verses when stuck within the sweet spot. Inaddition, where on the striking surface the object is struck may affectthe direction the object travels.

Current hand-eye training devices focus primarily on targeting actualsized balls. One targeting system provides a golf club face contact tapeto allow only feedback on regular sized golf balls.

Thus what is needed is a device, system, or method to help a player moreconsistently hit a sport projectile inside the sweet spot of thestriking surface of the striking implement.

Further, what is also needed are multiple inexpensive benign targetobjects that may be stuck to leave an indication of the strikingaccuracy. What is further needed is a target object which may be moredifficult to hit than the intended sport projectile in order toencourage a more focused, and concentrated swing by the player. What isfurther need is a target object which may leave a mark on the strikingimplement that leave a precise indicator, for example a substantiallysmall mark

Various embodiments may provide a system, device and method that may beused as a hand-eye coordination training device. Embodiments may be teedup and struck with a golf club, and may leave a residue where club facemeets the chalk. Embodiments may improve hand-eye coordination inathletes by training the eye to deliver the club to a smaller targetpoint with instant feedback on location of strike. Training withembodiments disclosed herein may make hitting an actual object balleasier because hand-eye coordination is focused on a smaller targetpoint.

One embodiment provides a chalk object that may be about a tenth thesize of a regulation golf ball and may therefore provide a smallertarget area. In some cases the chalk objects may be between ⅕th and ⅓ththe diameter of a golf ball. In some cases the chalk objects may beapproximately ¼th the diameter of a golf ball. Other sizes may be used.

In some cases 1 cm diameter spheres of chalk may be packaged by thedozen which may provide numerous inexpensive practice opportunities. Insome cases larger pieces of chalk may be rounded down to leave anapproximately 1 cm diameter “chalk ball”.

Embodiments may provide a golf training device/ aid, for golfers of allability levels which may improve their hand-eye coordination and theirball striking on the range or at home. The benign chalklike, or chalkmaterial may simply be swept up, washed away, or mixed with thesurrounding dirt in some cases.

A user may place an individual piece of impact chalk on a stable hittingsurface (like a tee if on the range) and take a normal swing trying tomark the middle of the club face with the chalk residue that resultsfrom hitting the impact chalk at even low club-head speeds. In somecases a user may repeat, for example, 20-50 times per session trying toconsistently place chalk mark in same middle location.

Embodiments may be used for many sports, such as, baseball, hockey,tennis, polo, cricket, or any other sport where an object ball is struckwith a club, and hand eye coordination may benefit from training with asmaller targeted hitting area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, when considered in conjunction with the followingdescription, are presented for the purpose of facilitating anunderstanding of the invention sought to be protected.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an example target object to be struck, and adevice that may be used to improve the hitting performance of theexample target object in accordance with the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of a golf club illustrating astriking surface, an example a sweet spot, and an example mark left bystriking a device in accordance with the present embodiment.

DESCRIPTION

The following description is of an example embodiment in accordance withthe current disclosure. FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a device 10for managing swinging effectiveness of a sports related striking objectconfigured to strike a struck object 15, in accordance with the presentembodiment. The struck object 15 may also be referred to as an object 15to be struck. The object 15 to be struck may in, for example, a sportsuch as golf. The struck object 15 may have a struck object diameter 20,the device 10 may include a chalklike material, a substantiallyspherical shape, and a device diameter 25 of between approximately ⅕ to⅓ the struck object diameter 20. In some cases the diameter 25 of thedevice 10 may be approximately ¼ the struck object diameter 20.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an example striking object 30, which in theexample illustrated may be a golf club 30. The struck object may be agolf ball 15. The device 10 may be configured to leave a mark 35 on astriking face 40 of the striking object 30 at a point of contact of thestriking face 40 with the device 10. The mark 35 left on the strikingface 40 may provides a visual indication showing a difference 45 betweenthe point of contact, i.e. the mark 35, and a predetermined location 50on the striking face 40. The difference may provide a determination of alevel of accuracy of the strike, and accordingly the effectiveness ofthe swing.

In the illustrated example the striking object is a golf club 30 and thestruck object is a golf ball 15. It will be understood, however that thestriking object may be one of a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockeystick, a tennis racket, a polo mallet, and a cricket bat and the like.

The predetermined location may be a sweet spot on one of a groupconsisting of a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, a tennisracket, a polo mallet, and a cricket bat, and the like. In the exampleillustrated the predetermined location is a sweet spot 50 on the golfclub 30.

The chalklike material of the device 10 may be a brittle porous materialthat may tend to crumble, and/or shatter when struck, and that may tendto leave a mark 35 on the striking face 40. The chalklike material maybe, for example, chalk.

FIGS. 1 and 2 also illustrate a system for improving a golf swing. Thesystem may include a substantially spherical target object 10 that maybe comprised substantially of a chalklike material configured to leave amark 35 on a golf club striking surface 40. The substantially sphericaltarget object 10 may have a diameter 25 of between approximately ⅕ to ⅓of the diameter 20 of a golf ball 15. The substantially spherical targetobject 10 may be configured to be placed on a golf tee.

Various embodiments may provide a method of managing golf swingaccuracy. The method may include: placing a first substantiallyspherical chalklike object on a golf tee; taking a first swing with agolf club and striking the substantially spherical chalklike object withthe golf club thereby leaving a chalklike mark on a striking surface ofthe golf club; viewing the chalklike mark on the striking surface, andnoting a first difference between a location of the chalklike mark and asweet spot on the striking surface; placing a second substantiallyspherical chalklike object on the golf tee; taking a second swing withthe golf club and striking the second spherical chalklike object withthe golf club and adjusting the second swing in order to minimize asecond difference between a second chalklike mark made from striking thesecond spherical chalklike object and the sweet spot on the strikingsurface based on the first distance noted in the noting.

The first and second substantially spherical chalklike objects may eachhave a diameter of between approximately ⅕ to ⅓ of a diameter of thegolf ball. In some cases the first and second substantially sphericalchalklike objects each have a diameter of approximately ¼ of a diameterof the golf ball.

Various embodiments may provide a method of managing object strikingeffectiveness for striking a target object with a striking implement.The method may include: striking a first substantially sphericalchalklike object with the striking implement, and leaving a first markon a striking surface of the striking implement; noting a location ofthe first mark on the striking surface and evaluating a differencebetween the location of the first mark and a predetermined location onthe striking surface. The method may then include one of the following:based on the difference between the location of the first mark and thepredetermined location on the striking surface, adjusting a subsequentswing of the striking implement in order to minimize a subsequentdistance between a subsequent mark made on the striking surface and thepredetermined location on the striking surface; and taking a subsequentswing and attempting to strike a second spherical chalklike object withthe striking surface at the same location as the location of the firstmark.

In some cases the predetermined location may be a sweet spot on a golfclub. In some cases the predetermined location may be a sweet spot onone of a group consisting of a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockeystick, a tennis racket, a polo mallet, and a cricket bat.

Some embodiments may include providing instructions to instructperformance of one or more of the aforementioned methods.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatare considered practical and preferred embodiments, it is to beunderstood that it is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements,but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of thepresent disclosure so as to encompass all modifications and equivalentarrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for improving a golf swing comprising: asubstantially spherical target object comprised substantially of achalklike material configured to leave a mark on a golf club strikingsurface wherein the substantially spherical target object has a diameterof between approximately ⅕ to ⅓ of a diameter of a golf ball wherein thesubstantially spherical target object is configured to be placed on agolf tee.
 2. A method of managing golf swing accuracy comprising:placing a first substantially spherical chalklike object on a golf tee;taking a first swing with a golf club and striking the substantiallyspherical chalklike object with the golf club thereby leaving achalklike mark on a striking surface of the golf club; viewing thechalklike mark on the striking surface, and noting a first differencebetween a location of the chalklike mark and a sweet spot on thestriking surface; placing a second substantially spherical chalklikeobject on the golf tee; and taking a second swing with the golf club andstriking the second spherical chalklike object with the golf club andadjusting the second swing in order to minimize a second differencebetween a second chalklike mark made from striking the second sphericalchalklike object and the sweet spot on the striking surface based on thefirst distance noted in the noting.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe first and second substantially spherical chalklike objects each havea diameter of between approximately ⅕ to ⅓ of a diameter of the golfball.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and secondsubstantially spherical chalklike objects each have a diameter ofapproximately ¼ of a diameter of the golf ball.
 5. A method of managingobject striking effectiveness for striking a target object with astriking implement, the method comprising: striking a firstsubstantially spherical chalklike object with the striking implement,and leaving a first mark on a striking surface of the strikingimplement; noting a location of the first mark on the striking surfaceand evaluating a difference between the location of the first mark and apredetermined location on the striking surface; and one of; based on thedifference between the location of the first mark and the predeterminedlocation on the striking surface, adjusting a subsequent swing of thestriking implement in order to minimize a subsequent distance between asubsequent mark made on the striking surface and the predeterminedlocation on the striking surface; and taking a subsequent swing andattempting to strike a second spherical chalklike object with thestriking surface at the same location as the location of the first mark.6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined location is a sweetspot on a golf club.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein predeterminedlocation is a sweet spot on one of a group consisting of a golf club, abaseball bat, a hockey stick, a tennis racket, a polo mallet, and acricket bat.
 8. The method of claim 5, wherein predetermined location isa sweet spot on one of a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, atennis racket, a polo mallet, and a cricket bat.